...but I've been pondering, if high pressure low volume is efficient, why don't we use it? Instead of building large pressure vessels for 100 to 800 psi, why not tiny pressure vessels for 5000psi? Tiny pressure vessels, tiny valves, less material, all more within the realm of the home workshop than large pressure pipes and fittings.

There's just the matter of efficiently pressing air, but I'd rather press air inefficiently and have an elegant launcher than press air efficiently and have a bundle of tubes and a box of (expensive) fittings strapped to each other for a launcher.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: our ingenuity is focused on standard compressor pressures and maybe fridgy pressure when our ingenuity could be focused on shoebox (4500psi) pressure and beyond. I limited myself to what a bike pump could do... but now with so many of us having access to small lathes, maybe it's time to step the game up. We are making our own pumps anyway!

When I first joined spudtech (ten years ago! ) the community was horrified that I was using a bicycle shock pump to take my projects to 300 psi, the idea of using more than the 150 or so psi that a shop compressor could provide was unthinkable! A decade on, look where we are today

One word though, hybrids - when you've built a few hybrids and seen their power potential, pneumatics aren't as attractive anymore.

...but I've been pondering, if high pressure low volume is efficient, why don't we use it? Instead of building large pressure vessels for 100 to 800 psi, why not tiny pressure vessels for 5000psi? Tiny pressure vessels, tiny valves, less material, all more within the realm of the home workshop than large pressure pipes and fittings.

There's just the matter of efficiently pressing air, but I'd rather press air inefficiently and have an elegant launcher than press air efficiently and have a bundle of tubes and a box of (expensive) fittings strapped to each other for a launcher.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: our ingenuity is focused on standard compressor pressures and maybe fridgy pressure when our ingenuity could be focused on shoebox (4500psi) pressure and beyond. I limited myself to what a bike pump could do... but now with so many of us having access to small lathes, maybe it's time to step the game up. We are making our own pumps anyway!

Too ambitious?

I'm new in spudding, but speaking from my airgunning experience you will find that higher pressure rated material (and equipment) costs more. Also there are (at least for me) safety issue. Having witnessed Farco foot pump -style airgun tube failure up close and personal makes me look at my airgun with different perspective.

Of course there are hybrid/combustions that goes well beyond normal pneumatic 'normal' working pressure, so it is possible. But as I don't have experience on that area I can only offer my view from the 'safe' side.

I hear you, but I don't mean to suggest that we should be building a 4" piston valve rated to 5000 psi.

Basically I'm suggesting that instead of building large valves rated to low pressure, build a small valve rated to high pressure. Instead of building high volume pumps at low pressure, build a high pressure low volume pump. Big bore airguns put out significant energy with relatively tiny valves.

If we are building a small valve and reservoir with a small lathe then the pipe isn't really an issue. Machine from billet.

Just a different approach... but meanwhile I am working on a coaxial with large valve for 300psi, epoxy and pipe construction (my lathe is snowed in)